Gas burner with a flared aperture

ABSTRACT

A gas burner with a flared aperture is disclosed for exhausting gas from an upright cylindrical burner body having a closed bottom and an open top end defined by a flared lip. A circular top plate is positioned over the open top end and is spaced apart from the burner body so that the circular edge of the top plate overhangs a portion of the flared lip defining a uniform circular gap with smooth borders and without interruptions. A means for securing the top plate in spaced apart relationship to the burner body is provided so that a predetermined size of the uniform circular gap is obtained. The flared lip is configured to project beyond the uniform circular gap so that flu products from the burner body are subjected to the flared lip. A tube is connected to the burner body for delivering pressurized gas.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a gas burner and improvement in flame properties for heating objects.

PRIOR ART

Flame properties of gas burners are a matter of concern in heating objects. For example, the inefficiency in using straight gas nozzles uniformly arranged to produce a uniform set of vertical flames was addressed in the U.S. Patent No. 2008/0,173,298 to Tsung-Ming Hsu. Vertical nozzles do not provide a high degree of uniform heating when in contact with the bottom surface of a cooking utensil such as a pot or pan according to Tsung-Ming Hsu, so the solution is to configure vertical and slanted gas nozzles so that bias gas flow exhausted from the slanted nozzles are incorporated into straight gas flows exhausted from the vertical nozzles to form a spiraling concentrated gas flow within the burner head assembly. This produces a high degree of uniformity in applying a flame to a heating surface.

Furthermore, it has been found that heating efficiency is improved by means of an air stability or flame deflector ring positioned apart from and opposite the burner ports, deflecting flue products away from the burner ports and toward the object being heated. Also, the heated deflector ring creates thermal currents that move toward the object being heated, according to the U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,020 to Linus K. Hahn. In the U.S. Pat. No. 6,131,561 to Douglas Myron Maxwell et al. a deflector means spaced apart from the burner ports embodying the same principle was disclosed to improve heating efficiency.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, improvement in flame properties such as greater contact area across the surface of the object being heated and improved flame stability is provided by a flared aperture. The flared aperture produces a streamlined circular flame that blankets the preferred surface area along the object being heated. Slanted and vertical nozzles and discrete openings such as gas exit ports of the prior art burner heads are absent. In accordance with the present invention, the flared aperture is uniform, meaning that the aperture is not interrupted, such as, by discrete ports or holes in the burner head, and that the areas bordering the aperture are smooth and not jagged.

More specifically, a flared aperture is disclosed, configured for managing the flue products of a cylindrical burner body that is upright or disposed along a vertical axis, enclosed at the bottom by a circular bottom plate and open at the top; thus defining a cylindrical body interior having a top opening. The open top end of the cylindrical body has an edge defined by a flared lip, projecting outwardly from the burner body and having an interior surface that is slanted toward the cylindrical body interior. A circular top plate is centered over the top opening of the burner body, perpendicular to its vertical axis and spaced apart therefrom having a horizontal interior surface overlying the cylindrical body interior.

In this configuration, the distal portion of the horizontal interior surface of the top plate is opposing the interior slanting surface of the flared lip in converging relationship. The size of the top plate is predetermined so that a uniform circular gap for exhausting gas from the burner body is defined at the circular periphery of the top plate overhanging the interior slanting surface. By virtue of this configuration, gas is subjected to these converging surfaces prior to release through the uniform circular gap.

According to the present invention, the flared lip is configured so that the interior slanting surface is projecting beyond the uniform circular gap. This provides that flue products are subjected to the interior slanting surface of the flared lip outside the burner body.

According to the present invention, a means for securing the circular top plate configured to a predetermined separation from the burner body is provided. The degree of separation of the top plate determines the size of the uniform circular gap. Adjustment in the degree of separation of the top plate is also provided which governs the size of the uniform circular gap for adapting the burner to various conditions surrounding its use.

According to the present invention, a means for delivering a mixture of gas and air to the cylindrical body interior is provided. Such gas delivery means has an adjustable opening for regulating the intake of air.

Therefore, an object of the invention is to improve flame spread and heat transfer.

Other objects of the present invention include improving flame stability, reducing the likelihood of flashback and reducing the time for the flame to reach its full extension during heating of objects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of gas burner assembly embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of a gas burner illustrating a spacer assembly embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an elevational, cross sectional view of a burner body taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1 embodying the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a flared aperture embodying the principles of the present invention enclosed in the square in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a side view of a gas burner with flame emitting from a flared aperture and blanketing the underside surface of a cooking utensil on a support assembly embodying the principles the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a bottom view taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 5 illustrating a circular flame blanketing the underside surface of a cooking utensil without the utensil support assembly shown in FIG. 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Now in reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, which are cut-away views of a vertical burner body 11, the interior slanting surface 16 of the flared lip 18 is lying opposite the distal portion 19 of the interior horizontal surface 22 of the top plate 15. Gas (meaning a mixture of gas and air) that is fed to a cylindrical body interior 12 is subjected to converging surfaces 16 and 19 creating a gas flow toward exhaustion at gap 17. Gap 17 is defined by the separation between the circular periphery 14 of the top plate 15 and the interior slanting surface 16 shown in FIG. 4.

According to the principles embodied in the present invention, the flared aperture 13 includes a projection beyond gap 17 illustrated by the projection 20 of the outward flared lip 18 in FIG. 4. This configuration provides that flue products are subjected to the interior slanting surface 16 outside the burner body.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the outward flared lip 18 is configured to within a range of 52 to 56 degrees from the vertical axis of the cylindrical body 11 shown by the offset 30 in FIG. 3.

According to the present invention, a means is provided for a predetermined separation of the circular periphery 14 from the flared lip 18. This includes a vertical spacer is that is centrally located in the cylindrical body interior 12, between the top plate 15 and the bottom plate 27. The preferred embodiment includes a spacer tube 21 secured by metal-to-metal gas tight sealing engagement 24 a and 24 b with surfaces 22 and 23 respectively shown in FIG. 3. A spacer assembly, including tube 21, is illustrated in the exploded view of FIG. 2. This includes a threaded bolt 25 extending through a washer 31 and a smooth hole 28 in the center of top plate 15, then extending through tube 21 positioned in the center of the cylindrical body interior 12. Threaded portion 26 is tightly engaging threated hole 29 located in the center of the bottom plate 27 in gas sealing engagement securing top plate 15 in spaced apart relationship to the burner body 11.

Adjustment can be made in the degree the circular periphery 14 is spaced apart from the flared lip 18 by a predetermined height of the spacer tube 21. As a result, desired adjustment of the size of gap 17 can be obtained.

In the preferred embodiment, gas is fed to cylindrical body interior 12 from a fuel source by means of a delivery tube 32 illustrated in FIG. 1. Air intake is provided by an orifice 33 and is overlapped by a sleeve 34 that can slide over tube 32 for adjusting the size of the orifice 33 to a predetermined position. This provides a means for regulating air into the system. A conventional valve 35 is provided for delivering pressurized gas from a fuel source and is secured to the gas delivery tube 32 by pin 36.

According to one embodiment, gap 17 is sized to 1/16 of an inch because of the height of spacer tube 21. In this configuration, the burner 10 will be used in combination with a utensil 38 in a heating assembly illustrated in FIG. 5. Utensil 38 will have a diameter of 22 inches across the top and a radius of curvature of 29 inches. The delivery tube 32 will have an inside diameter of 0.75 of an inch for providing propane gas to the cylindrical burner body 11 from a conventional containerized fuel source at 5 pounds per square inch. For heating other utensils or heating with different fuels at different pressures, gap 17 can be adjusted by the height of the spacer tube 21 for optimum heating effect.

Flame 37 illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 is a typical flue product according to the present invention. A circular integrity of the flame 37 is obtained during contact with surface 39 and flame 37 spreads evenly and extensively, blanketing surface 39 to provide uniform heat transfer to the utensil 38

A burner 10 embodying the principles of the present invention is suited for use with conventional stoves having a circular burning well in which the burner is positioned underneath utensil 38 supported by apparatus 40 illustrated in FIG. 5. Gas ignition can be obtained by a conventional high voltage or flame ignition apparatus built into a stove.

Although the invention has been described in connection with a specific embodiment thereof, it is to be clearly understood that this is done only by way of example, and not as limitation to the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A gas burner having a uniform flared aperture for improving flame properties comprising a vertical cylindrical body enclosed at the bottom by a circular bottom plate and having an open top edge; a flared lip defining said top edge having an interior surface slanting toward the cylindrical body interior; a circular top plate positioned over said flared lip and spaced apart therefrom centered in relation to said cylindrical body and having an interior horizontal surface opposing said interior slanting surface in converging relationship defining a uniform circular gap at the circular periphery of said top plate; a projection of said flared lip beyond said uniform circular gap whereby a flue product is subjected to said interior slanting surface outside said cylindrical burner body; means for securing said circular top plate in a predetermined spaced apart relationship to said flared lip; and means for delivering a mixture of gas and air to said vertical cylindrical body.
 2. The gas burner as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for securing said top plate is a vertical spacer having a predetermined height positioned in the center of the cylindrical body interior and secured by metal-to-metal gas tight sealing engagement with the opposing surfaces of said top and bottom plates.
 3. The gas burner as defined in claim 2, wherein said vertical spacer is a tube assembly including a tube and a threaded bolt extending through a non-threaded hole in the center of said top plate and through said tube, and tightly engaging a threaded hole in the center of said bottom plate.
 4. The gas burner as defined in claim 1, wherein said flared lip is configured to within a range of 52 to 56 degrees from the vertical axis of said cylindrical body.
 5. The gas burner as defined in claim 1, wherein said means for delivering a mixture of gas and air is a tube connected to said cylindrical body having at least one orifice and a sleeve for adjusting the size of the orifice for regulating the intake of air. 